Baby bib



March 20, 1956 H. J. BRADY BABY BIB Filed May 1, 1953 Ame/rive #411 /f77/V/VE Blew/ A Trauma 5Y5,

United States Patent BABY BIB Hilda Jeanne Brady, St. Louis, Mo.

Application May 1, 1953, Serial No. 352,561

Claims. (Cl. 2--49) maintaining the tray portion of the bib in position on top of the tray, and bowl retainer means is fastened to the top of the tray portion to hold a bowl in front of the infant and prevent it from being turned over. The material rearwardly of the tray portion is formed into a pocket to receive food which falls from the feeding spoon as it is moved from the bowl to the infants mouth.

It is generally well-known that when infants start to feed themselves, they do not have adequate control over the movement of their fingers and hands and also tend to play with the food and the bowl containing it. This results in the bowl being turned over or dropped onto the floor, and the food being strewn over the infant and on the floor in the general vicinity of the high chair.

It is an object of the present invention therefor to provide a novel baby bib for use with a high chair, and which prevents the bowl from which the infant is feeding itself, from being turned over by the infant or thrown onto the floor. More particularly it is an object to provide a baby bib which includes means for maintaining a bowl or the like in position in front of an infant sitting in a high chair.

Another object is to provide a baby bib containing means for holding a bowl in position in front of an infant and for aiding the infant in transferring the food from the bowl onto the spoon. More particularly, it is an object to provide a bowl retainer with an abutment means adjacent the edge of the restrained bowl which tains a pocket or trough for catching the food which falls r from the spoon as it is being moved from the bowl to the infants month. More particularly, it is an object to provide a baby bib containing a pocket immediately to the rear of the restrained bowl, and below the infants mouth, for catching food which falls from the spoon as it is being moved from the bowl to the infants mouth.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a baby bib embodying the teachings of the present invention, as it appears when in the fully extended position,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bib as it appears when placed in operative position on a high chair or the like,

2,738,511 Patented Mar. 20, 1956 2 Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2, the outline of a high chair being shown in broken lines, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, 10 indicates generally a baby bib constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, and adapted to be used with a conventional type of high chair 12 (shown in broken lines in Fig. 3) which includes a forwardly extending tray 14.

The baby bib 10 is made of a flexible material and includes a bib portion 16 and a tray portion 18 with a pocket portion 20 therebetween.

The upper part of the bib portion 16 is cut out at 22 and is provided with tapes or ties 24 for securing it about an infants neck.

The material at the sides of the pocket portion 20 is provided with darts or tucks 26 to create a dip or pocket as is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A tray encircling panel 28 is fastened to the underside of the tray portion 18 at the front thereof, the rearward edge of the panel 28 terminating short of the pocket portion 20. The distance between the tray portion 18 and the panel 28 is just suflicient to receive the tray 14, whereby the tray portion 18 is maintained in close association with the top of the tray 14 when the device is used with a high chair, as will bemore fully described hereinafter.

Fastened to the top surface of the tray portion 18 is a bowl retainer 30, which comprises a circular piece of flexible material which has the outer peripheral edge thereof turned back upon itself to provide a seam 32 for receiving a drawstring 34 (Fig. 4). As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the seam 32 contains an opening at the front thereof through which the ends of the drawstring 34 extend.

The bowl retainer is fastened to the tray portion 18 as by stitching along a line 36 which is inwardly of the seam 34 but away from the center of the retainer 30, thereby providing a base for the bowl, contiguous with the tray portion 18.

In operation, the tray portion 18 and the tray encircling panel 28 are slipped over the tray 14 of the high chair 12 (Fig. 3) and the ties 24 fastened about the infants neck. This causes the bib portion 16 to cover the front of the infant, and causes the pocket 20 to be positioned immediately to the rear of the tray 14 and below the infants mouth (Fig. 3).

The drawstring 34 is released and a bowl of conventional shape and size placed onto or in the bowl retainer 30. Thereafter, the drawstring 34 is pulled tight and tied in a bow at the front of the retainer, thereby causing the seam 32 to be pulled over the rim or lip of the bowl (Fig. 4) to form an inwardly extending abutment. It will be noted that due to the construction of the bowl retainer 30, bowls of various sizes and shapes can be easily accommodated, the only limitation being that the bowl cannot be larger than the diameter of the bowl retainer 30 when the latter is fully extended.

It will be readily apparent that with the bowl securely held in position in front of the infant by means of the retainer 30 (which is maintained in close association with the tray 14 by the tray portion 18 and the panel 28), an infant cannot tip over the bowl, nor can he lift the bowl and spill the food onto the floor. I

Also, when the infant moves a spoon across the bottom of the bowl toward the edge thereof, the overhanging seam 32 (Fig. 4) stops the movement of the spoon and prevents the food from being pushed out onto the tray or the floor. At the same time, the food which would normally be pushed out of the bowl is caused to pile up on the spoon. Furthermore, as the infant moves the spoon upwardly, the overhanging seam 32 scrapes the excess food off of the spoon and thereby limits the amount the infant can put in its mouth.

, The Pocket portion is disposed immediately to the rear of the bowl and below the infants mouth, so that ,any food which is spilled enroute between the bowl and the infants mouth falls into the pocket and is retained there until removed. In this way, the food which falls from the spoon is prevented from falling onto the floor.

Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided a novel baby bib which fulfills all of the advantages sought therefor. The bowl retainer is adjustable to receive bowls of various sizes and shapes, and it maintains a bowl in position in front of the infant and prevents him from tipping it or throwing it on the floor. Also, the edge of the retainer which overhangs the rim of the bowl prevents the food from being pushed out of the bowl onto the tray, and,'at the same time, aids the infant in piling the food onto the spoon. Furthermore, the pocket to the rear of the bowl receives all food which falls from the spoon, and thereby prevents it from falling onto the floor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing have been given only by way of illustration and example, and that changes and alterations in the present disclosure which will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. A baby bib for use with a high chair containing a forwardly extending tray, comprising a sheet of flexible material containing an upper bib portion of a length to reach from adjacent an infants neck to adjacent the waist thereof, and a tray portion below the bib portion and adapted to be positioned on top of a tray; means associated with the tray portion for maintaining it in position on a tray; and bowl retaining means fastened to the tray portion approximately at the center thereof, said bowl retaining means comprising a circular piece of flexible material having a peripheral edge, and means for selec tively shortening the peripheral edge so as to cause a gathering together of the material to form a pocketinwardly of the edge.

2. A baby bib for use with a high chair containing a forwardly extending tray, comprising a sheet of flexible material containing an upper bib portion of a length to reach from adjacent an infants neck to adjacent the waist thereof, and a tray portion below the bib portion and adapted to be positioned on top of a tray; means associatedwith the tray portion for maintaining it in position on a tray; and bowl retaining means fastened to the tray portion approximately at the center thereof, saidbowl retaining means comprising a circular piece of flexible material having a peripheral edge, the edge being turned back upon'itself to form a seam, and a drawstring positioned in said seam.

3. A baby bib for use with a high chair containing a forwardly extending tray, comprising a sheet of flexible material containing an upper bib portion of a length to reach from adjacent an infants neck to adjacent the waist thereof, and a tray portion below the bib portion and adapted to be positioned on top of a tray; means associated with the tray portion for maintaining it in position on a tray; and bowl retaining means fastened to the tray portion approximately at the center thereof, said bowl retaining means comprising a circular piece of flexible material having a peripheral edge, means fastening the circular piece of material to the upper surface of the tray portion inwardly of the peripheral edge and around and away from the center thereof, whereby the center portion of the circular material is contiguous with the tray portion, and means for selectively shortening the peripheral edge so as to cause a gathering together of the material to form a pocket inwardly of the edge.

4. A baby bib for use with a high chair containing a forwardly extending tray, comprising a sheet of flexible material containing an upper bib portion of a length to reach from adjacent an infants neck to adjacent the waist thereof, and a tray portion below the bib portion and adapted to be positioned on top of a tray; means associated with the tray portion for maintaining it in position on a tray; and bowl retaining means fastened to the tray portion approximately at the center thereof, said bowl retaining means comprising a circular piece of flexible material having a peripheral edge, means fastening the circular piece of material to the upper surfac'e'of the tray portion inwardly of the peripheral edge and around and away from the center thereof whereby the center portion of the circular material is contiguous with the'tray portion; the edge being turned back upon itself to form a seam, and a drawstring positioned in said searm 5. A baby bib for use with a high chair containing a forwardly extending tray, comprising a sheet of flexible material containing an upper bib portion of a length to reach from adjacent an infants neck to adjacent the waist thereof, and a tray portion below the bib portion and adapted to be positioned on top of a tray; means associated with the tray portion for maintaining it in position on a tray; and bowl retaining means fastened tothe tray portion approximately at the center thereof, said bowl retaining means comprising a piece of flexible material having a peripheral edge, and means adapted to shorten the peripheral edge to enclose a bowl within said bowl retaining means whereby a lip extends inwardly from the rim of a bowl, the lip being formed from the material adjacent to the peripheral edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

